When Whoopi Goldberg put on a habit and brought chaos to Maggie Smith’s convent, the result was comedy gold. ‘Sister Act’ became one of the most popular films of the 1990s. Now there’s reason to rejoice, as the fabulous stage musical version of Sister Act is coming to Basingstoke for the very first time.

Louise Gains takes Whoopi’s role of Deloris Van Cartier, the nightclub diva who witnesses a crime and must go into hiding.

Louise Gains in rehearsal as Doloris for Sister Act

“I’ve always loved the film, then I saw the musical in Guildford and thought it was amazing,” says Louise. “I thought ‘that’s a part I really want to play’. People say I’ve got that swagger, and the songs are great to perform – really soulful and uplifting.”

Louise can draw on a wealth of musical experience. Away from her day job as a finance administrator, she sings with the funk band Verber, records with local artists, has played the main stage at Basingstoke Live and even been heard on Radio 1 Xtra.

It’s a busy schedule but she’s got great support from her two sons JJ, who’s 10, and Kaiden, 8. “They’re singing along and helping me learn the lines. I hope they’ll be proud of me when they see me on stage.”

A lot of the fun in Sister Act comes from the choir of nuns whose singing goes from bad to brilliant, thanks to guidance from Louise’s character. “The nuns are fantastic, they’ve all got their own personalities, and their singing is joyful. You’ll come out of the theatre feeling totally uplifted!”

Six performances of Sister Act run from Tuesday 12th - Saturday 16th May. Performances start at 7:30pm with a 2:30pm Saturday matinee.